How Many “Next Silicon Valleys” Are There?

A map of many places suggested to be the next tech capital of the world.

A young man checks his laptop at the Campus Party Europe on the premises of the former airport Tempelhof in Berlin, Germany on August 21, 2012. Some ten thousand Internet enthusiasts from across Europe are expected to attend the six-day Campus Party, one of the world's biggest online entertainment events, that takes place from August 21 - 26, 2016 in Berlin. AFP PHOTO / STEPHANIE PILICK GERMANY OUT (Photo credit should read STEPHANIE PILICK/AFP/GettyImages)

Photo by STEPHANIE PILICK/AFP/GettyImages

California’s Silicon Valley is the world capital of technology. Almost all of today’s tech behemoths currently call it home: Facebook, Google, Apple, Hewlett-Packard. But 10, 30, 50 years down the road, will Silicon Valley still be the top hotbed of innovation? The map below shows 20-some places that, at one time or another, have entered the running to become a potential successor to Silicon Valley—or at least a regional counterpart.

Of course, this list isn’t comprehensive. Around the world, towns, regions, and even whole countries are investing in their technology industries, hoping to create their own Silicon Valleys. As Matt Yglesias recently wrote in Slate, it’s not always a worthy investment for local government.But one country that may have a better chance than others at fostering such an environment may be China, whose Shenzhen has boomed in recent years. On Friday, Oct. 12, Future Tense—a partnership of Slate, the New America Foundation, and Arizona State University—will host an event called “Arms Race vs. Relay Race: What Does Innovation Hold for China?” at the New America Foundation in Washington, D.C. To learn more and to RSVP, visit the New America Foundation website.

New Silicon Valleys

Each place on this map has been referred to as the "New Silicon Valley" by journalists or bloggers.

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Bangalore, India

New York Times

Excerpt: Bangalore's flourishing outsourcing companies, including Infosys Technologies and Wipro, have attracted worldwide attention with their global clients and tens of thousands of workers.Full article

Berlin

NPR

Excerpt: Sometimes it seems like the entrepreneurial spirit of young Berliners is confined to slacker hipsters selling used clothes to each other. But appearances can be deceiving.Full article

Boston

TNGG

Excerpt: Mark Zuckerberg: 'Honestly, if I were starting now I would have just stayed in Boston.'Full article

Brno, Czech Republic

Leaders Magazine

Excerpt: Thanks to its placement in the heart of Europe, at the border with Slovakia and Austria, but mainly thanks to the brain power of its fresh university graduates, Brno, the second largest Czech city, has the potential to become an innovation hub in Central and Eastern Europe.Full article

Buenos Aires, Argentina

The Next Web

Excerpt: On the downside, capital is scarce in a country that is still recovering from its 2001 crisis and the internal market is relatively small.Full article

Chile

Steve Blank

Excerpt: Saying that you support entrepreneurship and innovation is a start, but the sentence needs to be finished. Entrepreneurship and innovation in what field? Full article

Detroit

Indonesia

Excerpt: Consumers have taken quickly to smartphones and tablet computers, and digital design is far cheaper than in Silicon Valley and increasingly more affordable than in China and IndiaFull article

Kenya

The Atlantic

Excerpt: The government intends to create a Special Economic Zone to encompass [Konza Technology City], which is planned for development through a public-private partnership. In total, it's expected to be a $7 billion project.Full article

Long Island, N.Y.

Times Beacon Record

Excerpt: The main obstacle is how spread-out Long Island is and bringing people together.Full article

Los Angeles

Forbes

Excerpt: Over the last three years the Los Angeles region has quietly built momentum, establishing the foundation to become the next hub for technology entrepreneurship.Full article

New York City

Boston.com

Excerpt: "We understand that we will not catch up to Silicon Valley overnight," Bloomberg said in a speech. "Building a state-of-the-art campus will take years#8212;and attracting a critical mass of technology entrepreneurs may take even longer."Full article

Perth, Australia

Yahoo News

Excerpt: Perth could rival technology research giants California and New York by 2050 if resources companies paid one per cent of pre-tax profits into a perpetual fund.Full article

Phoenix

KTAR Arizona

Excerpt: A number of California companies have already relocated here.Full article

Sao Paulo

Washington Post

Excerpt: By the end of this decade, we will see some Mark Zuckerbergs emerging from the slums of Sao Paulo or New Delhi, India or Valparaiso, Chile. Why, you ask? Because entrepreneurs are doing what governments can't#8212;creating innovation ecosystems. Full article

Seattle

Venture Beat

Excerpt: Cost of gas, energy, and real estate (not to mention natural beauty) are just some of the reasons why the Emerald city is not only one of the best places in the country to live, but also one of the most attractive places for startups to bootstrap or for bigger companies to make the hires necessary to scale their operations.Full article

Shenzhen, China

Sampan

Excerpt: The development of Shenzhen is the epitome of China when it comes to reform and modernization.Full article

Singapore

The Telegraph

Excerpt: While having a market of just five million people, investors usually park their money in Singapore but then invest in much bigger markets close by, such as Indonesia.Full article

Skolkovo, Russia

The Economist

Excerpt: Russia is a tough place to work. ... [T]ry to think of a Russian who has grown rich by inventing something and you'll probably think of someone like Sergey Brin of Google, who moved to America when he was six.Full article

Sydney

Sydney Morning Herald

Excerpt: Over 17,000 Australians are said to be spread across the San Francisco Bay area, and at least 65 start-ups in and around Silicon Valley were either created in Australia or have an Aussie founder.Full article

The Middle East

New York Times

Excerpt: The region remains averse to risk, and only a cultural change will foster the entrepreneurial spirit needed to emulate Silicon Valley's success.Full article

Waterloo region, Canada

Cantech Letter

Excerpt: The region is now home to more than 850 tech firms and employs nearly 30,000.Full article